The Eller Chronicles

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT

Happy New Year!

Greetings from Colorful Colorado. It's hard to believe that it's Chronicles time again. Gerald probably has been working on input to the next issue since the day he mailed the November issue for printing and mailing.

In the event you overlooked my notice in the November issue, I would like to reiterate:

Some people who have the 1957 red book of Hook's as well as the blue Reprint said they'd be willing to give up their copy of the Reprint, Volume I. Absolutely not! That would defeat my hoped for overall goal of having on your bookshelves 3 or 4 more volumes of Eller genealogy. We now have Volume I in a beautiful blue and gold presentation, one of several I trust, will set side by side full of the genealogy of yours and hundreds of others and associated families. It is my sincere desire to influence other authors of Eller genealogy such as the Jacob Eller line, the Henry Eller, brother of George Michael, the work of David G. Eller and others, to maintain the same shelf presentation as Volume I, hopefully continuing with the blue cover and gold printing and with a similar format of binding printing including volume numbering.

From our Conf '91 General Meeting it was determined that we need several active committees working to fulfill the goals of the EFA. Due to my own limited time restraints I would like to defer that until the May issue. However, there is one effort that I feel is very important to bring before you in this issue. At Conf '91 in one of my presentations I projected the word HELP onto a screen which I'd like to repeat now for the entire membership:

HELP

This preceded my presentation on future volumes of genealogy, particularly Volume II. This will be a monumental effort that will require at least two committees, as I see it:

1. 1. A book committee



2. 2. A committee or task force to gather and compile data

Do you realize that there were at least, five Ellers that hit these shores around 1740 and that there is only one book for the intervening 250 years of prolific progeny?? That is amazing and at the same time disappointing. We can change that right now within our young and timely organization of 200 interested members.

I am open to any recommendations and suggestions for I know there are a number of experienced genealogists in our organization. With your approval I would like to oversee the entire project in concert with several known genealogy and publication experts. I will need 2 or 3 chairpersons, one for the book committee and two for the gathering committee.

Book Committee

This group would consist of a chairperson and at least 4 or 5 other people and would be responsible for working out details to bring to the membership for approval:

• - Organization of the material and determine if it is desirable or not to follow Hook's format as in Volume I. The superscript feature I feel is particularly important to retain.
• - Shelf presentation of future volumes considering the example already set by the Reprint.
• - Determine content to be included, as direction to the gathering committee, such as the genealogy, narrative, pictures (quantity and type), etc.
• - Design of the book cover and binding, the title pages and the index.
• - Work out detail methods of correcting errors and omissions known to exist in Hook's book.

Gathering and Compiling Committee

isualize this committee consisting of two (2) chairpersons and 10 or 15 others, correspondents, typists computer and Wang operators along with a host of compilers.

surely must be aware how committed I am for many reasons to lay aside Volume I now, the Reprint, and begin to make plans for our next near term venture, Volume II. This volume will, as I have stated .many times, extend the genealogy of that which is in the Reprint. As an example, my own family will fill about 8 pages. There is nothing in the Reprint beyond my grandfather. He only had two sons but those two have resulted in 8 pages of genealogy. One person -eight pages. Think of the possibilities!

is very important to proceed now with gathering genealogy for there appears to be great interest to do so, there is virtually a limitless quantity of genealogy, narrative and photos available to fill at least one volume. And, not a pleasant thought, we are not getting any younger. I've already received a considerable amount, not only in finished pamphlets and books but also loose family group sheets. It represents an assurance that much, much more exists out there.

intend to advertise in publications of various genealogical societies concerning the fact that we, the EFA, are proceeding on this venture that will lead to other volumes of Eller genealogy. Several societies know about us already and have copies of the Reprint. I feel certain that other volumes are possible, with information being received on Christian Eller, Henry Eller, Jacob the Immigrant, ad infinitum,

this end I have prepared a questionnaire to find those people who are willing to contribute their time in a variety of ways. In almost all of the categories I can contribute all the information I've gathered the last several years.

omissions and cross-references

s is one of the most important side efforts that must be performed. We have definite plans to gather and compile as much data as possible to correct errors and omissions in Hook's book. Equally important is the need to cross-reference, between the red 1957 book, the blue Reprint and new volumes, the new genealogy that extends that which is in previous books, as well as actually insert in the red and blue books minor corrections and additions.

my Conf '91 presentation �The Nebraska Ellers� elsewhere in this issue that discusses that very subject.

Archives

Please note on page 428 of the Reprint the reference to a 37 page booklet written by J. W. Eller in 1918 about the descendents of Christian Eller. I had the treat of talking with a very bubbly and enthusiastic lady in Indiana recently who has one of the original books, a copy of which will be made available f the EFA archives. Our archives material is growing with every passing year. Just a month ago I acquired a copy of Hook's 1925 green book 'James Hook and Virginia Eller's donated for our archives by Louise Coolidge of McCook, NE. For those who were at the Conf '91, Sandee Watson, the pianist at our Saturday night banquet is the daughter of Louise.

Archives? Yes! The EFA will have an archives library, something that I will talk more about in the May Chronicles.

As an aside

Let me put on my Chamber of Commerce hat for a moment. So many people, outside a radius of 500 miles of Denver, are aware of Colorado's weather via TV, They think we get buried by every snowstorm that comes along. Actually Denver (and Lakewood) are in the foothills and have a comparatively mild climate. What the country wants to hear is how much snow has fallen on the ski slopes - and that's what they hear. When 24" of that good stuff falls in Colorado, chances are it is usually in the mountains, on the ski slopes but not as much in Denver. Oh, we can get dumped on. We've had our 24" snows but luckily we are blessed with the wonderful chinook winds that visit the front range from Colorado north to Calgary, Alta that can raise temperatures from below to above freezing in a matter of hours and take most of that 24" snowfall fairly quickly,

QUESTIONNAIRE

Regarding Future Volumes

This questionnaire will definitely determine whether the interest is there and whether we should proceed with active work on Volume II.

• [ ] I feel it is imperative and desirable to pursue gathering genealogy for future books.



• [ ] I approve of your overseeing the project.



• [ ] I would be willing and happy to serve as a chairperson



• [ ] The book committee [ ] The gathering Committee



• [ ] I am willing to assist in gathering genealogy by corresponding with people and with genealogical societies for advertising and assistance. (Also, form letter postcards may also be sent to the generic Eller list that the EFA has, which numbers in the thousands.



• [ ] I am willing to help with choosing a printer if we do it ourselves, determine how many copies are feasible to print ; and investigate Possible publishers who will take on the publishing and marketing.



• [ ] I am willing to held organize the genealogy, narrative and photos into a preset formal.



• [ ] I can provide help with: [ ] Typing, [ ] Computer-generated content, [ ] Wang-generated content, or [ ] Other., such as:

This is most of the requirements to set up a group that can successfully produce much needed books for publication. However, other items or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Please remove this questionnaire from your Chronicles and mail it to me with questions and suggestions.